The last hero
by Chocolateman
Summary: An adventurer should not go on an adventure. Those were just some of the things he forgot. A man who is bound to follow a certain destiny, he could not stray from that fateful path. This is the beginning of a story which did not start in a castle nor did it start in a dungeon. It all began...
1. prologue

This story does not begin in a castle, nor does it begin in a dungeon, this story does not tell a tale of a valiant soldier, or a man of noble birth. This story began in a small village, isolated from the rest of the world, where the once paved roads slowly vanished as time passed on. This village was a human village; no dwarfs, elf, amazons, nor prums lived there.

In a small village, there was a young girl. She was walking down the grass fields, enjoying the last warm winds of that year. It was one of the many gifts that summer and early fall gave to the people of her village. In her arms she carried a wooden bucket, its size being larger than most of its kind.

Stopping by the stream, a group of energetic youngsters passed her by and leading them was her younger brother. She smiled at the site, she wondered when was the last time she saw her brother smiled after their father death and as always when he saw her, he waved at her, his amused grin still plastered over his face.

"Hey sis, want to come and play"

"Sorry Gorge, I can´t but don´t bother the others to much"

She loved her brother but she would be a fool if she did not concede to the notion that her brother was a pest sometimes, mind you not to her but to the other villagers. He was young, still a child and children often enough seek trouble and more often than not, trouble finds them.

She was once like him, she would spend most of the days playing in the forest or on the golden field above the village, acting as if she was a damsel in distress and sometimes she would pretend to be an adventurer but those days have passed.

She had lived eighteen summers and this next one would be her nineteen, most girls that age would get married but she had not even met a man. There were men in the village but most of them have already settled down just like her parents have before her.

She gazed down the river, her reflection looking back at her, her eyes were almost the same color as the sky above, the sky that would never by clouded. She was a real beauty but never has she thought that. Most of her days in the pass were spend in her own little world and now she needed to provide for her brother.

She lifted the wooden bucket above her head now filled with water; she balanced it with both of her arms. When she was younger she hated doing this every day but as each day passed she forgot her earlier complaints.

She eventually returned to her small house near the edge of the village, the next closest house from theirs was about fifty meters away from hers, one thing she loved about her village was the privacy that it provided and the people in it as well. Most of the people she knew were genuine and kind.

She twisted the doorknob; gracefully she walked in to her house still balancing the wooden bucket over her head. As she made her way through the house she heard footsteps above her. She quickly placed the bucket at the nearest counter and rushed upstairs. Opening the door which led to their spare bedroom she saw a white haired man, gripping the blanket sheet, his eyes were dazed and his arms were limb by his side.

This man is the hero of this short story, a story which one would hope it has a good ending but we cannot be certain in it unless we reach the final page. The man in question was there that day because of a request; a request from a god, but the villagers did not realize that the man who made such a request was a god.

**_For they were the only mortals that could not recognize divinity._**

The women watched as the man tried to move forward only for him to fall ungracefully on his back. He looked older then her, maybe a few years older but she could not be certain. After all when she first saw the man, he was unconscious, he seemed as if he would die at any moment.

"You should not be out of the bed." She practically shouted at him. His red eyes glanced at her direction. Never has she seen such eyes, eyes like rubies that some of the wealthier villagers had. She walked towards him, slowly as if he was a deer or some other fearful animal that would flee if she approached him quickly. She helped him stand up, his right arm over her petite shoulder, only then did she realize how much taller he was then her. She walked him toward the empty bed. His legs almost gave in a couple of times, as they almost fell over. After he sat down, she asked:

"How are you?"

She waited for a few second, until he finally answered.

"My head hurts…..and my left arm is numb"; His voice was deep

She watched him as his eyes slowly moved around, taking in the surroundings.

"Are you hungry, you have been asleep for a whole week."

He looked at her, his eyes still unfocused a tiny layer of liquid covered his eyes and cheeks as if he cried moments ago.

"Where am I?" He asked, his eyes becoming more focused. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave them a gentle squeeze, he locked his eyes with hers and she saw fire burning within them, she blinked once and the fire was gone.

"You are in my house and we are currently in Asteroi." She answered then continued

"Excuse me, good sir, what is your name?"

"My name…..Bell."

"Oh, Bell, my name is Isabel, nice to meet you."

This is the beginning of a story which did not start in a castle nor did it start in a dungeon. It all began in a house, owned by a girl named Isabel.


	2. The fall festival

**Be warn, I am not a native speaker of this language and making grammatical mistakes is unavoidable. If you find the story interesting or if you have some criticism please review and let me know. Well that is all, so enjoy the chapter.**

Waking up even in the most pleasant of times was always hard for most people and for a good reason, some wish to continue the dream they would eventually forget but some wanted to wake up as soon as possible, so that they could once again meet the rays of sun that greeted them every morning be it winter or summer. Bell was in the latter category.

As soon as the first rays of sunlight greeted him with their warmth, he would have already been up, doing his part to ease the burden on Isabel's shoulders. She was a kind girl, maybe even too kind. She had taken him in when no one else could nor wanted, she tended his wounds and even after he had woken up she urged him to stay with her until the amnesia that plague him disappeared. He did not want to burden her.

In the dim lit room, where Isabel was writing in her diary, she reminiscent of the events that took place in the past two weeks. She wrote less and less in her diary as time passed on, her duties and responsibilities did not enable her the time for such pleasantries. She helped a man who she did not know, she tended to his wounds, gave him clothes.

_He was a strange man._

She wrote in her diary.

_Never have I seen such a man, his red eyes seem so foreign, like an exotic animal that one would only see in the elven homes of old, his hair white, whiter than any elder she met, yet his features were refined, although a little childlike when he spend some time laying on the couch, snoring gently as his chees rose and fell at a rhythmical fashion. I was quite shocked when I found out that he had amnesia. He does not remember how he had spent his years as a teenager. He had told her of his time as a child, playing around the village and about his grandfather that would often make time so that he could read to his grandchild, stories about heroes and knight much like what my father use to do._

She stopped writing and her gazed focused on the last line she wrote, indeed she had such a father, a kind one that would have read to her many stories, stories that she still now held dear, she opened the window and saw Bell as he was picking up an axe her father once used.

Maybe I should talk to him later about the stories that they both once enjoyed, maybe they still do enjoy them. He was well build and it came no surprise when he did all of the deeds she pronounced hard or sometimes impossible.

The only thing that worried her was her younger brother that did not like the snow haired man. He did not insult the man nor did he complain but she knew her brother very well, he always talked and would more often than not try to befriend anybody including animals. He was a kind child but maybe the passing of their father had affected him more then she had first thought or maybe he simply found a person that he had not wanted to befriend. She watched the fields of gold that in the next few weeks would disappear.

As summer had brought great fortune and many gifts, so will winter take them away but she remained by the window looking beyond the golden fields of her homeland and gazed at the land beyond them, she often wondered what was beyond the mountain chains that obscured her village.

"Maybe Bell knows" she said out loud.

Clouds started to gather, the once crystal blue skies would be soon be covered by a mass of white and gray landscapes that no one could travel too. She held hope that the village elder, an old but wise man, would not cancel the festival.

* * *

The village festival started when the village elder drank the final drop of wine to parch his dry throat after a welcoming speech, he congratulated every single one of them, his smile never leaving his gentle face. His speech was short but meaningful just like most things in life the best and most cherished moments always lasted for a shorter time then one would like. Her gaze then traveled to her left side, seated to her left was her younger brother, his gaze was solely focused on the food in front of him, a small string of saliva was between his lower and upper lip. Turning her gaze to the rest of the children, she was glad that the rest of them had the same expression, she would not be the only one embarrassed by her younger siblings actions.

If she was younger she would have probably reacted the same way that her brother did, filling his mouth until he couldn't anymore. Her gaze then shifted to her right side, Bell stood there, his red eyes held a childlike wonder at the food in front of him. Most of the food was made by passed down recipes and ingredients that they harvest over the year. Isabel herself had made several smaller cakes from a recipe her great-grandmother made.

As she watched him, she was reminded that a few days before the festival they had spent the evening talking about them and sometimes they would talk about the stories they had both once heard. She was surprised when his eyes lit up when she spoke to him about the many tales he knew, his once dull eyes were filled with a fire so gentle that it could not burn even the smallest twig she could find. It was a gentle, kind and nostalgic fire. A fire she was certain belonged to a man of worth.

They spend many hours talking to one another but she enjoyed the quiet moments the most, when he would come back to her house in the evening and look at her with his red eyes, with such tenderness that startled her once before.

Her brother still had not befriended him nor did he spend his time starting a conversation with him, he defrosted over time if begrudgingly.

She thought about the time when she first laid her eyes on Bell, he had several deep gushes on his bodies; many of them were on his torso.

"What could have caused such injuries?" She wondered.

She wanted to know more about the man but what would happen if his past he now forgot was something he regretted.

"Should I try?" She said out loud

Bell turned her gaze towards her, tapping her on her shoulder he asked him if she was alright, she nodded and then the music started.

Couples and children danced around a small group of musicians, one of them was a bald guy with a large gut blowing through his flute, one was an old guy with gray hair who played the guitar, if someone had approached the man they would have realized that he was missing almost all of his teeth. The last one was a young lad, who was playing the drums with such energetic nature the older man glanced at the lad almost nostalgically. Isabel rose from her seat a held her arm towards Bell, a silent request for a dance. He smiled fondly and accepted her invitation.

They made their way toward the dancing couples and began to dance with them. They moved with one another, their feet never meeting, their hand and bodies swayed to the changing motions of the song that played that evening. Theirs souls were as close as their bodies were, but in an instance when they looked at one another their souls have merged into one, such was the dance that evening. The small blush that formed on the fair face on Isabel did not go unnoticed to Bell, he simple smiled as the dance came to an end.

They cheered as the rest of the villagers have as well, Isabel gaze turned towards Bell, the smile he had was not undone by her own as the blush continued to be present on her face.

* * *

North, far away from the village that Bell resided, a lone figure was searching for a cave. Not any cave, he was searching for a specific one, one which was locked away from mortals eyes, only he and his brethren could see through its black darkness that could overshadow the sun if it ever grew outside it drenched prison. When he founded it he lit up his torch a feeble attempt to frighten the darkness that resided there but the darkness pushed back almost angrily.

His steps were slow and hard, he did not want to slip into the dark pits, and forever lost in them would have been a fate worse than death. The lone figure stopped and called out to the darkness bearing him, a name which he knew all too well.

"Amedea." But there was no answer. Only darkness greeted him until he felt a chill run down his spine. He looked at the shifting form in the darkness, darkness so dark that the eyes of both mortal and divine could not have adjusted. The darkness surrounded him, embraced him as if he was a lost child but there was no warmth in this embrace nor did it have any kind intentions.

"What do you want Hermes?" Sounded a voice so dark and deep it shook the cave. Hermes did not falter a smile plastered on his features, as he approached the shifting figure.

"Is that how you greet and old friend"

"No god is my friend."

He knew of the shifting figure, so did most of the gods. He was once a man who by some miracle stole a divine weapon, reformer it so that the gods could not recognize them but gods have long ago figured out who stole the divine weapon. He was banished to this dark prison, forever damned to be covered in shadows, shadows that were not his. The shifting figure had forgotten most of his memories but he still held to some, the smell of smoke, the chirping of birds and most of all the metallic sound made when hammer met steel that was all too familiar to him. The shadow now almost engulfed the god.

"I need your help"

"Help you, why would I do that when your kind had forsaken me and damned me to this never ending shadow?"

The shadow held rage within them, a blinding rage that could not be silenced by mere words of affection nor compliments. They sought justice and freedom, something Hermes would offer

"Because, I can grand you your freedom"

The cave began silent, only now did the god realize how the cave was empty, it had no life. A black hand reached out to Hermes, stopping centimeters away from his neck. The hand was deformed to the point that one would consider that it belonged to a monster, his fingernails were now claws and his hand was covered in thick bores and rugged skin.

"Hermes, you will not trick me again." It was a statement.

"I am giving you a divine promise here, Amadea."

The hand that threaten to kill the god now returned to the darkness it belonged, as if it never was there.

"What is it that you need?"

Hermes reached into his backpack and pulled out a piece of cloth, in the cloth was a broken black knife, seeing it the shadow smiled, a smile nobody would ever see for the darkness covered it.

Amadea touched the blade; he felt divine energy, something he had not felt for over two thousand years.

"This blade was forged by the goddess of forge herself, a weapon made so that it could reach the strength and might of the blades that belonged to us, up there, in Tenkai."

"Hermes, why did you bring me this, what has happened, you would have never done this if you had a choice."

Hermes took a deep, his eyes remained focused as he looked at the shifting figure in the darkness, and there was neither joy, grief nor happiness in his eyes, just acceptance. His voice was rough when he said something he wished not to be true.

"Because Orario was destroyed"


	3. The end of Orario

**Be warn, I am not a native speaker of this language and making grammatical mistakes is unavoidable. If you find the story interesting or if you have some criticism please review and let me know. Well that is all, so enjoy the chapter.**

There was no warning nor was there a plan, a massage that would have saved them arrived too late and Orario was doomed to fall. A war had begun, a war between mortals and monsters. They had received a warning from a traveling merchant, he told them about the great fire that burned the once beautiful kingdom of the elves, most of them were killed and the rest had left their domain never to return. At the time they did not know what caused the great fire and the travelling merchant had told them all he knew. A letter was send by the elves who resided at Orario but their carrier pigeons never came back.

Then the next group of people came seeking refuge, they told tales of great beast unlike any other, its wings large as the mountains, its eyes red as blood. After a few weeks an elven squire came to Orario, he was badly hurt, barely conscious but he delivered the letter written by the high elf king. Its contents painted a frightening picture, it described a dragon, a dragon tall as the mountains, its wings could cover the sun, and his eyes were hungry.

"The beast is heading towards Orario"

The elven squire said, moments later he fainted, and too tired to even speak he was sent to the nearest Pharmacia. The gods gathered and contemplated but it was too late, if the dragon really has awoken, they needed to act. The gods gathered all of the adventurers and then the adventurers started their long march. That was the last time Hermes saw Bell.

* * *

The next day was peaceful, Hermes walked on the wall where Bell once honed his skills, where he spend most of his time with a golden haired girl, who he fell for. Hermes found it ironic, he was a god who never truly cared for the lives of mortals but now the mere thought of losing them was something that made him fell an emotion he hardly felt, fear and sadness. He lost children before but only now could he safely say that the mere thought of it made him shiver. He prayed, not to the gods, his brother or sibling, he had simply prayed to himself, a silent wish that would never be answered. Hermes looked back, he saw Orario in her full beauty, and citizens have already left the streets of Orario, probably to pack their bags.

They were worried, how could they not be, if the rumor is to be believed, then maybe there is no salvation, maybe this was the end of Orario.

Hermes chuckled, if the rumor was to be believed, then he would put his fate in Bell, over the years he had become the strongest amongst his peers, he was the strongest adventurer that ever lived, but that came with a price. He faced many hardships over the years; the once happy child that believed in miracles and happy outcomes was gone. He had witness the ugliness of humanity and when he was forced to kill a man, he forever changed. The change was at first unnoticeable, but later on he stopped smiling and the once pure soul that he possessed was gone. He had led the march and Hermes could only hope that they would succeed.

Then the ground started to shake, the tower was the first thing to fall, then the buildings, then the walls.

Hermes saw hell that day, everything around him was on fire, bodies were crushed by the buildings that came down, the dungeon roared. He tried to move, his limbs refused to listen. He turned his gaze downwards, towards his arms only to see that they were completely crushed. Hot blood was leaving his cold body, he wondered what happened to his children, did they succeed or did they crumble like the buildings. He did not care; he could only wish them happiness.

Hermes woke up, his body covered in bandages, his wounds closed and his arms were replaced with silver ones. He was tired, barely conscious in fact but his eyes fell on a lone figure with dog ears and a silver arm.

It took Hermes weeks to recover from his injuries, the woman who had helped him stayed by his side, he dimly remembered her as the child that was in love with Miach. He watched her, her eyes became dull, and such eyes were only possible if one had suffered great lost. After he had been completely healed, he stayed by her side, trying to ease her suffering, but to no avail. She did not need company, what she needed was peace and quiet. The next day Hermes left and traveled north, where the adventurers have marched that fateful day.

He reached the battlefield, his throat dry and hands weak. He saw a hill of corpses too disfigured to recognize. He walked for a few minutes, tears streamed down his cheeks. He did not recognize any of the people he passed by but he knew, deep down this was their graveyard. This was the graveyard of his family, the graveyard that would never be mourned over.

He did not even recognize the giant corpse that stood beside the mountain of corpses. He walked towards it and beneath the beast had laid a broken knife and a man he knew all too well. He quickly ran toward the white haired boy, placing his fingers to the left side of his Adams apple, he felt a gentle pulse, Hermes stood up, in his arms he carried the boy he once held dear. He placed him onto his steed and made his way towards the one person he knew that could help him.

When Nazza laid her eyes on Bell she almost had a heart attack, she rushed and helped Hermes, who was exhausted by the long trip. She quickly used all her potions to cure the black wound that was slowly killing him but they did nothing. Biting her lower lip, she pulled out a vile that contained a red liquid, she cursed and gave him the medicine.

She knew all too well what she had done. It was an experimental potion created by her and Armid. It could cure any wound but there were many side effects, such as memory lost, paralysis and maybe even death but she would rather try and save him then let him die by the black wound that plagued him.

After a few tense minutes the black wound that covered his torso began to vanish. Nazza asked the god to take Bell away, he had nothing here and it could only damage him further if he remained here. Hermes accepted and tomorrow morning he had left with Bell, he already knew his destination and upon arriving he left Bell in the capable hand of a girl named Isabel.

Then he ventured back to Orario, he met the once proud soldiers of the Ares familia battling against hoards of monsters, their gods have left them and they could only repel the monsters that came their way. Hermes then saw a red core that stood where the dungeon was, its glow was bright and it pulsated slightly.

Only then did Hermes remember what his friend had said

_The dungeon is alive but many still do not know what we meant by that, the dungeon is not a place it is a monster, it is a mother and the monster are her children and once her three sons are slain, only then will she truly awaken._

Hermes eyes were filled with rage, he had picked up the broken knife that once belonged to Bell and soon enough he headed north to meet an old friend.


	4. The departure

**Be warn, I am not a native speaker of this language and making grammatical mistakes is unavoidable. If you find the story interesting or if you have some criticism please review and let me know. Well that is all, so enjoy the chapter.**

The winters that fallowed every Fall festival were always rough, nothing grew and the cold winds was an unwanted reminder of the fragility of man. Villagers still worked, who does not work does not eat, and a truer statement did not exist.

Nothing grew so work which the villagers could have done in the fairer days was gone; occasionally they would milk the cattle and do an overview of their remaining supplies. One thing of note was the village chief had celebrated his sixtieth birthday, many have come to give their fair wishes, and some had even given the old man some gifts.

Isabel found these days to be more lovely then the last winters she had experienced, Bell who had helped her greatly before the wither showed its true fangs was one of the many reasons for her good mood. He had supplied her with more wood then they needed this winter and what was left could last them the next winter, he had also voluntarily helped her clean her home a couple of times during his stay and he even began to talk to her energetic brother.

They have formed a kind of strange friendship; it all happened when the boy challenged him to a dual with wooden swords, he claimed that fighting a grown man will help him achieve his goal. What was his goal, well he wanted to win the spring competition which is held every year just before the spring celebration.

The competition was fairly simple, everybody can enter one of two of them, there was spring youth competition, where only children below the age of fifteen could enter, the main event could only enter fully grown man. The reward for the youth competition did not exist but there was one for the adult competition, the winner could with his family eat beside the village chief and they would be the first ones to taste the finest of cakes and food.

Her brother had fought Bell multiple times and each time her younger brother has lost, Bell moved at a rhythmical pace, avoiding attacks when he saw fit and countering when he saw opening but such things went over the head of the fair maiden that watched him from her bedroom window.

She had played the role of a knight before in her younger years but never had she fought a real opponent, nor did she know how to fight. She only knew that in most cases speed and strength were the key factors that determine a fight. She smiled at her brother who managed to land a hit on the white haired man, even if he had allowed him to, the silly grimace was enough for her to call out to them.

That evening they talked around the dining table like a family, her brother had been defrosted completely and his smile that he once wore before their father's death has now once again appeared. He claimed that he would win the competition; her skepticism vanished when she saw a gentle smile that creped on Bells face. After living with him for a few moths she had confirmed her earlier suspicions, Bell was a man of worth and she found comfort in the gentle curves around his lips and the gentle but soft eyes that always watched over her. She started to wonder if he was willing to stay with them from now on. The help he provided was of great help and was something they could use in the following years. Her brother while being a speed demon was far too young and inexperienced to actually help her in most cases, but Bell was mostly mature and he was always willing to help her.

As the days passed she spend more and more time watching a back she became too familiar with, she wondered what had happened to him, where he had lived and how did he spend his days before coming to the isolated village she called home. She wondered what it would fell like losing her memories, not knowing her own past, would she recognize the faces of the people that came her way, to greet her, while she looked at them confused and scared.

If he could not remember his past, maybe he could make a future here, where everybody knew everybody, where ones death would be mourned by all. The only thing on her mind was a selfish thought that even if he did remained in the village, would he be by her side as he was now.

The competition had already started, not the young competition that her brother had one but the adult competition that started mere moments ago. She felt tremendous joy when her brother had beaten his opponent and had won the youth competition with relative ease. And now she watched as Bell fought his way through the final. He had initially not intended to participate in it, but after her brothers several attempts of changing his mind, he concede and entered the competition.

He made quick work of almost all his enemies, he was fast and strong, his back unflinching in the presence of others. She felt her heartbeat intensify at the sight. He had reached the final and was currently facing Lugar a man who was given the nickname the bear by many villages.

He was a gentle soul, but his sheer size and slow talking pattern had made him into an ample sight to behold, not to mention all the hair that grew on his back and torso did not persuade the others to stop using that fated nickname.

They approached one another, Lugar standing a whole head taller than Bell, with his sword placed on his shoulder blade, his eyes never leaving his target. Bell was looking at Lugar with eyes that reminded Isabel of the eyes one would see in a hawk that was honing in on pray. They made two steps backward and the village chief in his sixtieth year had begun the fight.

Sword meet sword and surprisingly Bell had not faltered when so many others have under the crushing strength of the Bear Lugar. The next thing Isabel saw made her eyes widen, after taking a few steps backwards, Bell changed his stance, Lugar thinking he had Bell where he had wanted, Lugar attacked and Bell parried with so much elegancy that she wondered if he was simply dancing. Raising his wooden blade, he hit Lugar. Bell had one and she cheered with the rest of the village.

Lugar accepting his lost shook his hand and laughed.

Isabel often wondered what a knight looked like but she felt that Bell certainly one would have been one if he had the opportunity, who knows maybe he had been a knight.

The next week was filled with many sweet moments, they talked about subject that were intimate to both of them and she had even picked up a sword and fought Bell, even if it was a joke she found it quiet enjoyable. Then the spring festival began, they were seated by the village chief and he made once again a speech that was in her opinion better than the last one.

They had tasted a large amount of food that was both refined by the cooks and their respected recipe makers. Once again her younger brother acted like a hungry wolf eager to every dish.

She had also made some cakes for this particular festival, she fondly remembers how Bell offered to help her and how he almost ruined everything when he fell down. Thankfully her younger brother had managed to catch it in time.

She found that whole situation rather funny.

After they had eaten, the dance once again started, the same group of people have once again picked up their dancing partners and played the tunes they often did on every festival. Isabel and Bell once again found each other in one another's arms, swaying lightly, as the evening grew shorter and the dawn drew closer. They locked on each other gaze and Bell saw a picture he would never forget.

_Painted before him stood a maiden so fragile and fair that if he looked away she would disappear_

Her eyes were filled with joy and sadness, Bell could not read her mind and if he did he would have whispered to her, his voice would have been gentle

"I will not leave you."

But those words never came; they were left there, in the place between his throat and tongue, with so many words that were left unspoken. He gently tightens his grip around her waist, she smiled, it was a sad smile, a smile that did not know what the future held, a future which was uncertain, a future she may longed for or forever regret. As the festival came to an end, they left one another embrace, even if they wanted to remain there, they could have not. Night was always a natural enemy, and they were close to falling asleep, they left and returned to her home.

She only hoped, that one they she could call her home theirs, and that he would be by her side as he was now and had been before.

The next day he had worked himself as a dog, doing many jobs to distract himself from the impure thought that plagued him the last evening. She was so close to him, her warmth was such a gentle thing which he yearned for and the saddest moment these last few months was when she had left his embrace yesterday.

When he finally returned, he met a strange man, his eyes were dull, his arms replaced with silver ones, and his golden hair reminded him of something he could not have formed into words. He stared at the stranger for the longest of times until the stranger had approached him. A gentle smile tugged on his lips as he opened his mouth and said.

"Hello fellow traveler, might you hear me out for a bit, my name is Hermes"

The aura around the man was different then the aura of any villager or person he had met before, he stood there, the smile that tugged on his face was now gone and his eyes narrowed.

"I can." Said the white haired man

And at that time Bell; once a happy boy was sent down a path, no one should have treated alone. He would fallow that path until he had completed his objective, one which would have discouraged most men but an invisible force had forced this man into that path. That force was destiny and it would always follow him until its whimsicality had been sated.

That night had been one of the hardest, the once cheerful and energetic kid that challenged him was now nowhere to be seen, and Isabel who supported him so much had also gone quiet. She had been a pillar of support he did not know that he needed. He stood on the porch, looking at the full moon and its lovely dance partners, the stars, as they stood beside the lonely moon the ease its sorrow.

He watched the sky, the endless darkness that held and surrounded the lonely moon and its many dance partners, Bell wondered if such darkness would befall Isabel and the small village he had been a part of for these few short months.

The god Hermes had told him all about the great evil that lurked it the dungeon city. He had also told Bell about his own path and destiny, which Bell accepted. It is not commonplace that gods search for a man who they believe that is the key to their salvation.

As the moon began to fall gently, he heard footsteps behind him, they were gentle almost too gentle, he knew those footsteps, how many times had he heard them. He dimly remembers her pained expression when he told her he needed to leave. Her eyes were wide open, even if she had been moments ago when he woke her up. Her eyes well filled with sadness even now he sees in the small intervals when his eyelids close then open up again.

She opened the wooden door that separated them but he kept his gaze away from her, he had hurt her, caused her pain. She approached him, standing to his right her gaze fell on his shaking hand, she placed her gentle palm on it and gave it a gentle squeeze. His eyes moved towards her and for the first time he was there he finally saw her as she truly was, a young girl who sought comfort and found it within him.

She asked him if it truly was necessary for him to leave, did he truly have to leave and abandon them both. He had made a promise that evening that when his journey is over he shall head to her side and remain there for better and worse. Her eyes were filled with sorrow but in them he saw glimpses of happiness. He gently knelled in front of her as if she was royalty; he then gently lifted his gaze and met her gentle eyes. He may have forgotten some of his memories but he still knew the tightness that pressured his chess. He smiled and told her the words he should have said when they danced on the spring festival.

"I love you." His voice was even

She smiled and held his hand; he rose to his feet and gave her a gentle kiss. That evening two souls have merged into one and they forged a bond that would last way beyond their short lives.


	5. A girl named Elena

**Be warn, I am not a native speaker of this language and making grammatical mistakes is unavoidable. If you find the story interesting or if you have some criticism please review and let me know. Well that is all, so enjoy the chapter.**

The next morning came and Isabel had stayed in her room and through her window watched his back facing against her.

Then he left.

The trip that they had set upon would last over two years and in that time the fate of the village that Bell had left was in the hands of destiny. He disliked the idea, strongly so but he needed to do this, he told himself multiple times. By his side was the god that offered his aid on this journey.

_He was a strange man, he would look upon me with eyes filled with nostalgia of simpler days, days that I could not nor dared to remember._

The journey was long but the god eased some of the burden and mental stress that came with such a task, they spend their evening talking about various topics, but most of the time they would spend their quiet evenings enjoying the food that Bell had prepared.

The silence was a nice companion, Bell would study the god who became less and less troubled as their little journey continued, and he wondered if by helping him the god had found a way of saving himself from his own burdens.

That idea was a strange one.

After almost two years, they had finally reached their destination if the god was to be believed they were currently in an elven forest, the farthest one which had never allowed other races to enter its mystic forests. When they arrived, a lone elf had greeted them. They soon followed the elf, he lead them to the location where a spirit presided.

It was a cave but unlike the one that Hermes had trenched, this one did not have the darkness that kept the cave hidden, but Bell felt strange power surging from within the cave.

The elf had departed as soon as he had led them to the cave; Bell felt immense sadness when he saw the lonely elf surrounded by his destroyed homeland, probably still holding out hope that his people would once again return and salvage the once great kingdom of the elves.

But that never happened instead the lone elf remained in his destroyed homeland, alone, as the first sign of life had begun to brew in the desolated land, he took his final breath and smiled.

He had known that that was a sign, that his small life even in the end had some meaning, for he had seen the end of the once proud elven kingdom and the grass that grew that day would be his resting place.

But that is a story for a different occasion.

Bell stood in front of the cave his arms stiff; he had not even noticed the small smile that tugged on the gods face.

"Well in front of you is your trial, succeed and we might have a chance against her."

That were the final words that the god had said to Bell before he left the forest, Bell knew that the god was free willed and that he would wait for him until he finished his trial. He had become close with the god, maybe they were friends but those eyes of his, eyes filled with sadness still held him from proclaiming him as his friend.

He took the first step into the cave.

* * *

He wondered how many hours have passed since he set foot into this damn cave; he knew that he would lose the concept of time when he first entered the cave. He was searching for something he had only known about from books his grandfather had read to him all those years ago, those memories that were before the massive black hole that locked other memories maybe some even more meaningful than those cold nights when his grandfather read to him.

He shook his head. This was not the time to ponder on such topics he had an obligation, a duty he needed to complete and he would see it through.

He walked for hours and finally he saw a light, a blue light that radiated such power he kept his eyes shut, an angelic voice called out to him.

"What are you doing here, traveler?"

Opening his eyes he saw a young girl who stood beside a tree which was surrounded by a mass of water. He stepped forward and said.

"I came for aid; I need your help to defeat the great evil that plagues this world"

Bell knew almost immediately that the women in front of him could not possibly be a simple farm girl or a girl who just wondered into the cave by some miracle. The girl's hair was blue and he could see lighting shining from within her pupils. She was a spirit, a being almost too strange for him to even comprehend.

Her eyes sparked and she said: "You seek my aid, for what purpose."

"The beast that resides in Orario will surely spread its vile destruction upon nearby lands and further beyond and I want to stop that from happening."

"Why do you believe, that you of all of the people out there can beat such a beast?"

Bell breath hitched, he closed his eyes.

Why did he fight?

A picture appeared before him, in it he saw a girl swaying lightly on golden fields, waiting for a dance partner who departed for a quest long ago. The girl loved her home, he saw the smile that was forming on her lips, and it was a sweet smile. She loved the houses there, the people there, but most of all she loved her family and she held that happiness close but in her eyes he saw sadness. She still swayed alone while all around her were clinging to their dearest love, all but her.

"I fight because there are things that I do not want to lose again" He yelled

"There is someone I must see again, someone I care for." The words he spoke were true and he meant each and every one of them but still he wanted to say more, his hearth needed to say more.

"She is still waiting, I need to save the only home she ever knew and loved." Those times when he spend idle moments on the dinner table with her and her energetic brother, were some of the fondest memories he made in the few months he spend with them. The time when they danced together was always special.

The night before he left on his journey, when he held her in his arms and when she held him close seeking his warmth.

He had his answer.

"I will win" He said, his eyes were shining, a fire burned that would set ablaze all that laid in front of him.

The spirit looked at him, her eyes bore into his and she moved away from the tree.

"If you can reach the tree, I will aid your foolish quest."

He stepped forward, when his feet submerged into the watery depth electricity shot through his system. His yaw and hands clenched, his lungs began to shrink and with each step he felt his eyes flicker more and more into and out of conscious. He was so close to the tree, if he reaches out he could have probably touch it, but his arms were now to weak.

He was so close.

Just reach it.

…

…..

…..

A girl stood alone, nobody could hear her cries as she held onto the small seed that was in the palm of her hand. Her parents had abandoned her long ago, she was alone and nobody would come for her.

She dug a small hole into the ground, her nails were bloodied but the warm blood had pleased her, it meant she was human; she was not the monster her parents have feared. She placed the small seed into the tiny hole she had dug.

_`Maybe now they would come for me` the_ girl thought

But they never did, and the girl laid there, unmoving, as snow began to fall on that cold winter night. She passed away but the seed sprouted and it grew. Her life was blessed by the fairies as the tree became their home. The girl once again had meaning, she was human but she was more than that.

She was a girl named Elena, a girl who always dreamed of heroes and fairies.

…

…..

….

Soft hands gripped the shoulders of the man named Bell, her eyes were just and his hearth and words were true, it filled the girl with grief. How many people had come before him that sought her power for something corrupt? He was the only one who wanted her powers to protect rather than conquer.

She had always dreamed of heroes and now she meets one. What kind of spirit would she be if she did not aid him? But she was also a tad sad. She wanted to talk with him and exchange tales but she did not have that luxury. She would become his power, his fire, his lighting.

A lone elf had once again traveled to the cave he had guided a white haired human too. He was a strange man, that human. His eyes spoke no words of the horror that so many others have spoken about.

When he reached the cave, he saw the human lying on his back; his eyes closed a light snore escaping his lips. A small distance away a black sword stock out of the ground, its hilt standing proudly and tip imbedded into the ground, small flickers of lighting sparked on the sharp black edge.


	6. Mother

**Be warn, I am not a native speaker of this language and making grammatical mistakes is unavoidable. If you find the story interesting or if you have some criticism please review and let me know. Well that is all, so enjoy the chapter.**

Sorrow was a felling she was accustomed to, she after all watched how the races of man endlessly murdered and shamed her precious children. Day after day, month after month, year after year the killing never stopped, and she could only sleep and pray that her three sons could live in peace. She was a monster, she was told so many times over by the gods she once looked up too. She slept for thousands of years and she would remain asleep for all eternity if she had not heard her oldest child scream of pain. Like any good mother she wanted to help her child, heal his wound and help him if he needed it but he was already gone and she was awaken. She screamed and the prison that held her shattered.

She lost her sons and she wanted her revenge, red liquid surrounded her and began to form a body she would use to walk among her children. The gods at that point have already been wiped out, at least she thought so. A blonde haired god survived the collapse and he would venture fort on a journey to stop her from being reborn.

* * *

Bell spend the next few months training, he needed to fully control the lighting that was coursing through his veins. He could infuse his blade with lighting, channel his lighting he could cover his body in it and deflect most physical threats.

When the months he trained passed he began his trip back, every evening he spent alone thinking of the enemy he would soon come to face. It was bad enough that he did not how much the destruction has spread.

After another two years he had finally reached Orario, it was barely recognizable but something deep down told Bell that he was in the right place. There were no monsters in the surrounding area and the only thing that was not natural was the red crystal that pulsated in the middle of Orario.

He passed the place where once stood the tall walls that protected Orario in the past; he walked over stones that formed many of the building that once housed families. The streets were bare, there was no laughter nor was there any sorrow to be heard, there was only the sight of broken streets and destroyed homes. His eyes held a sadness he could not explain, he felt nostalgic when he stepped on a wooden sign on which was displayed a name: **Hostess of fertility.**

He made his way to the red crystal, it stilled before it began to violently shake and from it **Mother **was born. She looked human, her skin fair and features refined if not for the horns that grew out of her head and her dark bluish skin some even might had confused her with a normal human girl. She opened her ruby eyes and stared back at Bell who tightened the grip on his sword. She took a step forwards and then Bell attacked, it was a quick attack that was aiming for the neck but the strike never came, **Mother** raised her arm to meet the blade and has stopped it.

Her eyes were cold, it reminded him of a fish eyes, dead. She once again started to walk towards Bell but this time she initiated the attack. She closed the distance between them in a instance, eyes in frenzy she successfully landed a strong hit on his chest. He was launched several meters back, clutching his chest, he began to breathe faster.

A smile formed on **Mother **face as she watched Bell in pain, the attack that landed had enough power behind it to shatter almost all of Bell bones but he stepped back, and escaped the full force of her attack.

Bell held his sword; its edge pierced his vision as it became blurry.

* * *

"_What are you waiting for?" said a girl with black hair in a white dress. Her expression was filled with sadness that made him shudder._

"_She is waiting for you, you know." She continued, he once again remembered Isabel smile that she held while dancing beneath the moonlight. _

"_Go beat the beast…..Bell" the girl said with a nostalgic voice. She was small and thin for the most part, yet he knows this figure, he was certain that he knew, but he could not remember her nor call out for her because he could not remember her name. _

_He felt a burning sensation on his back and he felt whole._

"_Go…..Bell"_

* * *

He rose once again; fire mixed with lighting, as they danced on the edge of the blade his vision became clear. He readied his stance and waited for his opponent's next attack. **Mother **quickly responded and jumped towards Bell, her claws outstretched toward him. Bell closed his eyes and allowed the lighting to guide his body. One swing and it was all over. He had won.

He spend the last few days traveling back to the village he holds dear to his hearth, his only prayer was that it was still there and that the evil which took root in Orario did not spread to it. He gazed upon the green hills that had become all too familiar to him, walking further he saw Isabel.

His breath hitched and he wanted to run towards her as fast as possible but midway he stopped when he saw someone clinging to her leg, the child had white hair and Isabel eyes. He stood there unmoving, until the child moved to her side, Bell approached him. He knelled in front of the boy, Bell wore a silly grin but he did not care, he could not have cared less. Isabel smiled at him; her eyes became foggy while she hugged Bell. Bell returned her hug but kept his eyes on the boy.

They separated and Bell then approached the young boy, he slowly wrapped his arms around him, and smiled.

He had a son.


	7. The final page

**Be warn, I am not a native speaker of this language and making grammatical mistakes is unavoidable. If you find the story interesting or if you have some criticism please review and let me know. Well that is all, so enjoy the chapter.**

Hermes passed the green hills where he last saw Bell five years ago, how many years have passed since Bell had defeated the great evil that had plagued the world? Hermes visited Bell on several occasions in the past but now Bell had grown old and the next few months would probably be his last.

Bell had married Isabel upon returning to the village, the village that she cherished the most, and he had three more kids with her. They are now fully grown and have families of their own to carry the name Cranel forevermore. Bell and Isabel remained together; they spend every happy and sorrowful moment with each other and in the end they were proud of what they left behind.

Isabel had passed away in recent years and she was proud that the last moments of her life she had spent them with her husband, who held her hand until she closed her eyes for the final time. Bell grieved his lost and had come to accept that which was cruel reality most of the times. Happiness never last, it disappears or it withers.

He had yet to pass away and Hermes wanted to visit him before he does. He found Bell lying down in bed which he once shared with his wife; his children were by his side. They left upon seeing Hermes, they had known who he was, after all Hermes had met Bell family on several occasions and was always good with them.

He walked towards Bell, the bores replaced the smooth skin texture the young boy once had and his eyes lost what little fire that remained. Above him, Hermes saw the blade he had returned to Bell, a blade which held so many precious memories that Bell had never remembered. Bell looked at Hermes and smiled fondly.

"How are you old friend?" An old man asked.

"I am good Bell, how are you?"

"A little tired but all is well."

Silence passed over them and forbidden them to speak to one another, Hermes sat down on the bed, trying not to make Bell uncomfortable. Bell spoke up.

"Hermes I had a funny dream, want to hear it?"

"I would love to Bell."

"I had a dream where I traveled with a black haired goddess; she was beautiful Hermes, really beautiful. We spend so much time together alone until I met a small child and a red haired man, there were also a fox and a raven but they were always there maybe even from the beginning. In the dream there was even this girl that looked similar to Isabel but she had blond hair. It was a really strange dream Hermes, but a nice one, it made me smile if only Isabel was there I would have not woken up from it."

Hermes stared at him; his eyes were foggy for the first time in many decades. Bell eyes became more unfocused and Hermes knew it was about to end.

The story he longed for was about to end.

"It is a truly strange dream Bell"

"Hermes I would like to see that dream once again, do you think if I close my eyes once more I could see it, maybe Isabel would be there, I would love that."

"Bell do you have any wishes?" asked the god.

"No, Hermes I do not, I lived a proud life and have seen many things and have many fond memories. But if I could have one wish I would like to see her again Hermes."

"You will Bell, just close your eyes and you will see her, and she is waiting for you Bell as she once did when you left on your long journey."

Bell breath began to become slower and slower as time passed by, there was a long pause. Bell turned his head to face the god, a small smile tugged on his lips. Hermes, in that instance, in those few seconds that lasted for an eternity, Hermes did not see the old man but a young Bell who wore a smile so bright it drowned out all of the unease the god had felt. He opened his mouth his eyes closing.

"It was a fun journey, was it not?"

…

…

…

"Yes it was Bell, it truly was…"

Bell had never heard Hermes respond he had already closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber. His heart stopped beating and the only thing that Hermes could hear was his own gulps and his tears as they fell on the wooden floor.

The next day Bell was buried beside Isabel grave, there was none who did not grieve his death, none more so that his children. Even the heaven above cried, rain began to fall as the people began to leave; only Hermes remained beside Bell grave. After some time the rain stopped and Hermes gazed upon the stars. He saw a single star that shined brighter than any other; he never saw that star before. His eyes remained on that bright star before he saw a star beside the bright one. They moved together, they were dancing.

Hermes smiled fondly. The story was over and somebody had to tell it.

* * *

"And that is how the story ends, what do you think, do you like it?"

"Yes we do, hey Uncle Michael can you tell us that story once more."

"Maybe another time, go now children Uncle Michael has some things to do."

"Ok bye Uncle Michael."

The children left and Michael remained alone, he still regretted adopting that name. The blond man that remained has never changed, he remained youthful as he always was but his eyes that once held a glint of immaturity now were more mature. It was already late and he once again turned his gaze to the stars, and smiled fondly. There on a distant plane where he could never reach, Bell danced with Isabel, they gently swayed as the stars around them sang. But Hermes could not stare at the sky for long; he had to tell a story, a story he was a part of.

A story which did not start in a castle nor did it start in a dungeon. It all began in a house, owned by a girl named Isabel.

**And this is the end of the story; I hope it was enjoyable reading it as much as it was fun for me to write it. Please leave a review and tell me what you liked and what you hated about the story.**


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